IPCC report: Land is critical in averting climate emergency

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, two years in the making, explores how the way we use our land contributes to climate change and how climate change affects our land.

The IPCC has launched a new report which warns
of the stark consequences of the climate emergency.

“Land plays an important role in the climate system,” said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

When land is degraded, it becomes less productive, restricting what can be grown and reducing the soil’s ability to absorb carbon, says the IPCC. This exacerbates climate change, while climate change in turn exacerbates land degradation in many different ways.

Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC, said: “Governments challenged the IPCC to take the first ever comprehensive look at the whole land-climate system. We did this through many contributions from experts and governments worldwide. This is the first time in IPCC report history that a majority of authors – 53% – are from developing countries.”

The report highlights how warming has resulted in an increased frequency, intensity and duration of heat related events, including heat waves and droughts.

Read the story from ClimateAction by Rachel Cooper - “IPCC report: Land is critical in averting climate emergency."